Thoughts on Mayoral Elections Overall

[Lunar]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1109/Another_loser_Identity_politics.html

Amid all the parsing of ideological and partisan trends in last night's races, it seems worth noting (as I started to, in a sleepy way, early this morning) another: In big city mayor's races, voters chose candidates not like them.

African-American Atlanta gave a plurality to a King-quoting white woman; Houston voted for a lesbian; and Detroit elected a gay former news anchor City Council president. (The first two are headed to run-offs that, if they get as ugly as they often do, will probably test exactly how much force the wedges of race and sexual orientation have.

Mike Bloomberg could be taken as part of this trend, the white mayor of a majority-minority city; but exit poll suggest he actually barely survived the resurgence of a black-Latino coalition. On the other hand, Bob McDonnell's strength in Fairfax County was a triumph over a kind of cultural politics -- the thesis -- that's a cousin of identity politics.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1109/Another_trend_Revolt_in_the_burbs.html

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi -- a rising star now clinging to his job by a few hundred votes -- tweets this morning, "What a night! Up by a couple hundred votes. The public is frustrated. Low Democratic voter turnout. It's the school taxes."

Suozzi's instinct is to point to a specifically suburban issue, and some of the biggest surprises last night do seem to have stemmed from a revolt in the suburbs. Suozzi's entrenched counterpart in Westchester lost his seat. McDonnell retook parts of Northern Virginia that had long shunned the GOP. And Christie ran hard against property taxes in a race whose primary target, one of his aides told me last night, was suburban independent women.

Both parties will likely scramble in the weeks and months to come to understand, and channel, the anger in the suburbs.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1109/Charlotte_hands_Dem_a_win.html

 In Charlotte, N.C., voters elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in a quarter-century.

Anthony Foxx, a member of the Charlotte City Council, defeated his Republican opponent by three percentage points, 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent. He'll take over the mayor's job from longtime incumbent and 2008 gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory. Like Charlotte's last Democratic mayor, Harvey Gantt, Foxx is African American.

For Democrats, Foxx's victory is a welcome counterpoint to their loss in Albuquerque last month, when Mayor Martin Chavez lost reelection to a Republican in a strongly Democratic city.

Charlotte's also one more data point - in addition to Mike Bloomberg's narrow win in New York City, the surprise defeat of Mayor Greg Nickels in Seattle and the success of a gay candidate in Houston and a white one in Atlanta - that urban voters are willing to roll the dice this year on different kinds of politicians.

[Lunar]

I really wish Obama had intervened in NYC one tenth as much as he did in NJ or VA....my second biggest regret of the night.

[Meeker]

Yea. If black turnout had been a little better in NYC we'd be looking at Mayor Thompson right now.

Republicans had a good night throughout the area though - did well in Westchester and Long Island. Which leads me to believe it's more just an anti-incumbency mood.

[Lunar]

I agree, Democrats are facing some local problems, one of which is the suburban shift noted above.

Although the gays underperformed in Maine and Washington, not only did a lesbian get the plurality in Houston, but a gay won mayor of Chapel Hill and a city council member in Detroit.  So, we'll let you run our cities just say away from our children.

[Sam Spade]

I agree, Democrats are facing some local problems, one of which is the suburban shift noted above.

Although the gays underperformed in Maine and Washington, not only did a lesbian get the plurality in Houston, but a gay won mayor of Chapel Hill and a city council member in Detroit.  So, we'll let you run our cities just say away from our children.

Houston goes to a runoff in a month.  She hasn't won yet.

[Lunar]

True, but the plurality is impressive.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Astonishingly vapid and lacking in insight - beyond the hilariously obvious (Republicans doing better in suburbia. No, really? You'd have to be pretty stupid not to notice that). But, hey, most political journalists don't understand municipal politics - I especially "liked" the bit about Charlotte making up for Albuquerque.

[Sam Spade]

I agree, Democrats are facing some local problems, one of which is the suburban shift noted above.

Although the gays underperformed in Maine and Washington, not only did a lesbian get the plurality in Houston, but a gay won mayor of Chapel Hill and a city council member in Detroit.  So, we'll let you run our cities just say away from our children.

Houston goes to a runoff in a month.  She hasn't won yet.

One other point - I can guarantee you that the Morales/Brown contingent is mainly right-of-center (if not outright right-wing) voters.  It will be curious to see where they go, because they have the nasty tendency of always showing up.

[Lunar]

For sure, I'm not saying anyone is winning, just doing better than otherwise expected.  Hell, Houston had a Democratic mayor last so it's not like Texas suddenly became the new Castro District of the South or anything because a lesbian won a plurality in a city elections.  However, it's a minor bright spot in what was otherwise a disappointing night for those of us still disappointed over Maine.

Astonishingly vapid and lacking in insight - beyond the hilariously obvious (Republicans doing better in suburbia. No, really? You'd have to be pretty stupid not to notice that). But, hey, most political journalists don't understand municipal politics - I especially "liked" the bit about Charlotte making up for Albuquerque.

I still think they are interesting points to note on the overall vote yesterday for those of us who don't track each one.  

The point wasn't so much that Republicans were doing better in suburbia, but that we're noticing at least a mini-revolt against some of the institutions in Long Island that were thought to be safe as well as the property tax voters in NJ & McDonnell showing up stronger than expected in Fairfax  

Of course, the most obvious factor in all of these races is anti-incumbency, these are more minor "trends."

[Sam Spade]

For sure, I'm not saying anyone is winning, just doing better than otherwise expected.  Hell, Houston had a Democratic mayor last so it's not like Texas suddenly became the new Castro District of the South or anything because a lesbian won a plurality in a city elections.  However, it's a minor bright spot in what was otherwise a disappointing night for those of us still disappointed over Maine.

Even though the races are non-partisan, Houston has never had a Republican mayor in its history.  Closest it came was through the incompetency of Lee Brown.  Though Louie Welch did become one, it was after he ran the city.

Don't confuse Houston for Harris County.  Houston still votes at worst 60% Democratic and at best (like in 2008) probably around 70% Democratic.  Which should tell you something about Harris County.  Harris County, btw, typically hates most anything political coming from Houston - basically they think that Houston is trying to steal their money.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

We can't find two high powered candidates here......the incumbent nearly always wins.

Lil Mayor Luke sealed the deal by a wide margin........I'll send him some diapers and pablum as a prize......lol.

[Lunar]

did't some kid win in Pittsburgh too?

[CJK]

The Democratic mayor in my city got kicked out by 3%, which is pretty stunning considering it's only about 50% white. Obama won 75% here last year. I guess turnout really made the difference.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/leitzell-pulls-off-upset-of-mclin-381862.html